Today is the anniversary of when I came out to my neighbors. This was extremely stressful to process and prepare for leading up to it, for numerous reasons, primarily:
1. They were the first group of people I’d come out to that I didn’t have a long-standing close personal relationship with, and
2. If it went south, there was nowhere else for me to (immediately) up and move to.
Ultimately, the motivation to just do it boiled down to the fact that I was sick of hiding around my own home. I hated getting my makeup done and changing at home but feeling the need to cover-up with a huge over-sized jacket (yes, even on warm days) to rush to my car and go about my business. I just wanted to have the freedom to come and go as I pleased and not feel like a prisoner in my own home. So, one year ago today (11/1/17) I made the decision to bite the bullet and get it over with.
When I told them, they were extremely honest but also very supportive. They said that this wasn’t something they understood at all, but they knew it was an issue that some people deal with. They also made sure to say that their neighbors are like family, and they would make sure to have my back, and with my permission they would tell any other neighbors that would likely need to know for me (to avoid me having to have this conversation so many times). To say I was relieved is a huge understatement. They have since been extremely supportive of me and I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.
Pics show me the day after I told them, with a smug-ass grin at work and me later that same night, the first time I got to present female and openly leave my home without worry (ok…some worrying). Also included is a pic from this morning, rocking that same smug grin.